


such great heights

by yanak324



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Vacation, Fluff and Humor, Gendry getting to know the Stark family, Gendrya being cute, Love Confessions, Not a whole lot of plot, Phobias, Smitten Gendry, and fam bonding, gendry is not a Baratheon, just fluff and humor and love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:27:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21771451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanak324/pseuds/yanak324
Summary: He was falling in love with Arya more and more each day, and he simply did not want her to think of him as weak in any way. So, he kept quiet about his crippling fear of heights but in retrospect, Gendry really should have known better.Written for the 2019 Gendrya Gift Exchange.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Comments: 50
Kudos: 192
Collections: Gendrya Gift Exchange 2019





	such great heights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Weltverbessererin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weltverbessererin/gifts).



> This is my first of two submissions to the 2019 Gendrya Gift Exchange. 
> 
> I'm super happy I got to write a gift for Weltverbessererin, who has been such a supporter of my work. Based on the prompt "Gendry has a crippling fear of heights, but he doesn’t want Arya to know that." I hope you enjoy it! And I hope everyone else does too. It was fun to write. 
> 
> Title from a Postal Service song of the same name, moodboard lyrics from Coldplay. The characters sadly do not belong to me.

xxx

In retrospect, he’s surprised it never came up. 

Granted, they live in King’s Landing, which is pretty flat, and have only been dating for about four months. 

But considering that they met at a rock-climbing gym, Gendry still wonders how it is that he’s found himself at the top of a 30-foot cliff, trying his best not to glance down for fear of losing the contents of his stomach or worse fainting. 

All with his girlfriend none the wiser. 

He’s proud of himself for even making it up here. 

Arya’s enthusiastic support – or what some would definitely call heckling – helped a bit, but she’d been the first to take the plunge, blowing him a kiss before jumping _backwards_ off the cliff. 

Gendry watched as her cousin, Jon, whistled as he glanced over the edge, no doubt admiring her graceful descend. Whatever pride Gendry might’ve felt is now incredibly dulled by the slight heaviness in his legs and the clamminess of his palms. 

With Arya’s reassuring presence gone, he knows he has to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible for why he won’t be jumping to his death.

Especially as everyone else enthusiastically leaps off one by one, leaving him alone with the patriarch of the family. 

Then Ned Stark is suddenly clapping him on the shoulder and saying he’ll see him down there; and Gendry swears his heart stops beating completely as he watches the older man dive seemingly into thin air.

He hears the echo of voices from below, then a splash as Ned joins everyone else in the water. 

From this high up, Gendry can’t make out the sound of Arya’s voice and he’s sure as hell not peering over the edge to find her. But he knows she’s waiting for him and will likely go searching if he doesn’t make a move soon.

One thing is certain though. 

There’s no way in all the Seven Hells that Gendry is diving. 

At the same time, the idea of his beautiful, strong willed girlfriend finding out that he has a crippling fear of heights doesn’t sit well with him either.

Not when this is his first time meeting her family and he should be doing everything he can to impress them and prove to them that he’s the right man for their wildest offspring. 

So Gendry does the only thing he can think of. 

He lies. 

Nobody suspects anything when he meets them on the beach after carefully descending the _other_ side of the cliff. He explains that he’d rather not jump because something didn’t sit right with him from breakfast that morning.

Arya is the only one who gives him even a second glance, suspicion briefly flashing in her shrewd eyes. 

They both know he can basically eat anything and be fine. She has affectionately called him a human garbage disposal on more than one occasion – so this is definitely not his best lie, but since she doesn’t say anything, Gendry takes it as a win. 

And much as he laments the missed opportunity of sprawling out on the beach towel besides her and watching how her wet skin glistens beneath the Southern sun, Gendry goes back to the house, grateful to have emerged with his pride intact. 

xxx

The first thing he noticed about Arya was how unique she was. 

The gym wasn’t the first time they met. He’d seen her around plenty before. 

At Hot Pie’s picking up a slice or two – or sometimes an entire pie. At the coffee shop they both seemed to like, sipping on a black coffee with her face buried in a book. Once even at a dry cleaners down the block from his apartment. 

They never exchanged more than a polite smile, but Gendry didn’t need to talk to her to recognize that she was different. 

He’d observed that all on his own. 

She was kinder to strangers than anyone he’d ever encountered, save for perhaps his own late mother. 

She was also unapologetically loud and had the most infectious laugh he’d ever heard. 

He’d walked into Hot Pie’s numerous times and been momentarily sidetracked by the sound of her glee as she chatted with the cashier. 

In short, she’d captured his attention in a way nobody else ever had before.

And judging by the furtive glances she’d occasionally send his way, Gendry was pretty sure the girl with the mysterious gray eyes and teasing smirk was curious about him too. 

And yet, he couldn’t quite work up the courage to talk to her. 

That is until he’d walked into his gym early one morning and found her unfurling cords of rope by the large rock-climbing wall that still gave him heart palpitations every time he passed it.

The wall had gone up after he joined the gym, and Gendry had considered switching to a different one, but this one was the most conveniently located and the least crowded during the times he would go. 

There was also a stubborn part of him that did not want to capitulate to this dumb phobia of his. 

On that particularly rainy Monday, when he’d sleepily dragged himself into the gym and encountered that startling pair of eyes and laidback smile, Gendry had thanked his lucky stars that he decided to remain a member of Clegane Fitness. 

From there, it had been stupidly easy. 

His suspicions about Arya were confirmed rather early on. She wasn’t just uniquely beautiful with her translucent skin, chocolate brown hair that fell in choppy waves just above her shoulders, and lithe figure, her personality was also unlike any other girl’s he’d ever dated.

It was perfectly suited to his. 

They both had an unhealthy obsession with medieval weaponry and spent many a Sunday afternoon getting lost together in the Museum of Westerosi History. 

They both had a thing for spicy food, and often tried to outdo each other with the amount of hot sauce they’d ingest over the course of a meal. 

And they both absolutely loved old Western films. 

Gendry still blames seeing her collection of DVDs – arranged alphabetically by director – for why their first time having sex was so explosive and yet over so quickly. 

If he had to trace back the moment he knew Arya Stark was it for him, it would have been later that evening as she sat back naked in his lap, breathless with shining eyes, and let out the fullest, most joyous laugh he’d heard up until then. 

“What’s so funny?” He’d asked, tracing his fingertips along her spine as he tried to come down from the high he’d just been on moments prior. 

“If I had known a film collection was the fastest way to get into your pants, I’d have gotten my mom to ship me some of my old VHS tapes.” 

Gendry couldn’t suppress his own mirth then. Even though, he didn’t completely agree with her.

Instead of responding with words, he’d flipped her over and proceeded to show her for the next few hours just how much in fact it wasn’t the movie collection, but rather the woman who owned it, that made him dizzy with need. 

He also learned quickly that Arya had an insatiable thirst for adventure and was probably the biggest adrenaline junky he knew. 

On their first real date – burgers and fries in the back of his truck at the last drive-in theatre in King’s Landing – she told him that the rock-climbing gig was part-time while she worked on her physical therapy degree. 

When he’d asked why PT, she’d told him a bit bashfully that it was close enough to her passion – helping people live active lives, while also satisfying her parents’ desire for her to have a real career.

She told him all about how after witnessing her younger brother’s accident and what losing mobility could do to even the lightest of souls, she decided she wanted to truly live. 

To be grateful for being active and make the most of it. That philosophy had taken her East on her gap year, where she’d tried every extreme sport known to man. 

Her body was littered with evidence of it. 

Every time, he’d trace his hands or lips along the heated plains of her skin, he’d discover some new mark or scar for which she always had an explanation.

“Dirt biking in Norvos…”

“Bungee jumping in Pentos…”

“Free diving in Volantis…” 

He’d been so enamored, so captivated by this alluring woman, who had seen so much of the world, and still chose to spend time with him – a lowly bastard from Fleabottom who’d never even left King’s Landing. He didn’t realize that he probably should have told her that he was terrified of heights. 

And had been since he was a kid. 

Once he did, it was already too late. 

A part of him, however small, was afraid that by telling her this, he would open the door to doubt, leave space for her to question whether he was worth it. Whether he was good enough for her. 

Although it’d been a long time since Gendry had let his upbringing slice through his thoughts and amplify his insecurities, this was different. 

He knew he was falling in love with Arya more and more each day, and he simply did not want her to think of him as weak in any way.

Not when she was so strong, so powerful, so clearly out of this world _and_ out of his league. 

So, he kept quiet about his fear of heights. 

When she’d asked him to join her on her family’s annual vacation, Gendry had agreed without thought, pleasantly surprised to be asked, and absolutely intending to impress the hell out of her family.

It just so happened that this particular year, the Starks would all meet in the Stormlands where Ned’s oldest friend, Robert Baratheon, would host them.

Yeah, it really was Gendry’s shit luck that he’d have to meet his girlfriend’s family for the first time in one of the steepest and more unforgiving terrains in all of Westeros. 

He really should have known better. 

xxx

While everyone else is at the beach, Gendry has a surprisingly enjoyable time indoors, getting to know one of Arya’s brothers, Bran. 

The younger man had similarly opted out of the beach in favor of exploring the massive library the Baratheon family had supposedly been expanding since the beginning of the century.

After Gendry stumbled upon him in the military history section, they spend nearly the entire afternoon discussing a myriad of topics, including analyzing all the ancient Westerosi fighting styles. 

Arya was the last person who showed similar passion for the subject, but their argument got quite heated when Gendry refused to add water dancing to the discussion, given that it was an Essosi technique. 

So, it was nice to have a genuinely objective discussion with someone as even-keeled as Bran Stark. Even if Gendry had absolutely no objections to how he and Arya ultimately resolved that particular dispute. 

He’s actually in the middle of recounting to Bran how angry Arya had gotten at him when they’re suddenly interrupted.

“There you two are.”

As Arya’s oldest brother Robb comes into view, Gendry immediately scrambles up from where he’d been sitting against the stacks. Bran simply shuts the book in his lap and looks up to address his brother.

“How can we help you, Robb?” 

Gendry watches as the older man barely suppresses the urge to roll his eyes, presumably spurred by his brother’s seriousness. 

“You can help me by getting your butt back to your room to wash up for dinner,” then he turns his attention to Gendry, and his face splits into a wider smile, “Arya was looking for you mate, thought you’d be resting.” 

Gendry feels his face grow hot, especially as Bran’s eyes flicker to him in mild confusion. He opens his mouth to offer an explanation, but Robb clearly isn’t looking for one. 

“Hope you’re well enough to join us for dinner though. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.” 

“What’s tomorrow?” Gendry blurts out without thought, even as a ball of dread forms in his chest. 

“We’re hiking to Durran’s Point, of course.” 

Robb leans forward to clap him on the shoulder – much like his father had done earlier today – before turning around and disappearing out of view. 

Bran wheels by Gendry second later and suggests with a subtle smirk that he doesn’t have to lie in order to spend the afternoon nerding out on medieval history. 

Gendry doesn’t even register it though, mind much too preoccupied with trying to figure out why Durran’s Point sounds so familiar to him. 

It’s not until halfway through dinner, Arya’s hand warm on his thigh, and the taste of the finest wine he’s ever had on his tongue that it hits him. 

Durran’s Point is the highest peak in all the Stormlands. 

Oh, fuck.

xxx 

The only silver lining to this hike is that Arya opts out of going.

Her final exams are quickly approaching, and to justify going on this holiday, she promised to sequester herself in the library for at least one day to plan her study schedule. 

“Besides,” she tells him with a far too smug smile as she slips out of bed,“ I’ve hiked way higher than Durran’s Point before.” 

Gendry gets easily distracted by the sight of her in nothing but a pair of panties, winking at him as she disappears into the en-suite bathroom. 

But her words echo uncomfortably in his ears hours later when his calves burn and the sun beats on his back and he wipes a sweaty hand across his forehead. 

It is quite beautiful up here, all blue skies and green-tipped peaks and valleys; the crash of the ocean against the base of the cliff; fat birds chirping overhead. 

And he would be able to enjoy it if looking anywhere other than the trail in front of him didn’t make him so goddamn dizzy. 

The hike they’re on is quite steep and barely wooded, which essentially leaves him with the feeling that they’re scaling the side of a giant mountain rather than climbing to some top peak that’s supposed to have breathtaking views. 

This entire trail has been gushed over and overblown by basically every single member of their hiking party. 

Yet, the only reason Gendry feels short of breath at the moment is the impending fear that his legs will absolutely give out any second if he lets himself think for even a moment of how high they’re above the ground right now. 

Luckily, Ned, Theon, Robb, Rickon, Renly, and his boyfriend Loras have all marched ahead, leaving just Jon and Gendry behind. So when the latter stops to take a much-needed sip of water, there’s really nobody around to give him shit for it. 

The coolness of the water has just barely reached the back of his throat when Jon pauses a few feet ahead and looks over his shoulder.

“You okay, mate?” 

“Yeah, fine,” Gendry calls back but clearly Jon doesn’t buy it because he walks back for a closer look. 

“You sure? You look a little pale. Maybe you haven’t recovered from whatever you had yesterday?” 

“No, really. I am fine.” 

Gendry tries to wave off the other man’s concerns, but his voice falters as he glances to the left and catches sight of the short distance between him and the abrupt drop at least 500 feet below. 

Seven Hells, this was a bad idea. 

In an effort to shake off the dread starting to build somewhere in his core, Gendry turns to look at Jon. The man’s narrowed stare does nothing to quell the anxiety starting to bubble up. 

It also reminds Gendry so much of Arya’s expression, he nearly does a double take. 

He’s suddenly distracted by the similarities between his girlfriend and her cousin – down to the crease between their brows and the mouth pulled down into a frown. 

Gendry tries very hard not fidget beneath his stare. 

It’s tough though. 

Especially when the longer they stand here, the more keenly aware he becomes of just how fucking high they are. It makes him wonder how he’ll feel when he reaches the top… _if_ he reaches it. 

He’s so preoccupied with his thoughts he doesn’t even realize how Jon’s frown has dissolved into amusement. 

“You know, Arya would probably cause me immense bodily harm if anything happened to you. So if you feel even remotely unwell, maybe you should just head back down.”

Gendry really doesn’t want to agree to this. In fact, he very much wants to push further, if only to prove to himself that he can do it. 

But on the other hand, the overwhelming rush of relief he feels at Jon’s suggestion absolutely cannot be discounted. 

He’s already going to have a nightmare trying to hike down this Gods damn trail. He really should take the opportunity, even if it makes him feel like an absolute fucking failure. 

A look back to his left once again sends a rush of absolutely paralyzing fear, solidifying his decision. 

“Yeah, alright. I guess I’ll meet you guys down there, then?” 

But Jon’s shaking his head and fishing something out from the side of his cargo pants. 

“Nah, here,” he tosses Gendry a pair of car keys, which the latter catches quite easily. 

“Take my Jeep. Arya’s probably dying for a break from studying by now. Go pick her up and enjoy the rest of your afternoon.” 

Gendry wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Jon when Arya first introduced him just days before, but in this simple exchange, the older man has proven to be exactly as awesome as Arya has said he would be. 

“Okay, thanks, mate. I’ll get the car back to you before dinner.” 

“Whatever,” Jon waves him off over his shoulder as he resumes his walk up the trail. 

Gendry thinks he should probably be suspicious of the quick way the other man’s dismissed him, but he decides to worry about that later, when he’s closer to solid ground. 

xxx 

Jon is right. Arya is practically scaling the walls when he shows up to surprise her.

She looks up as soon as he walks through the door of the library, face lighting up as she jumps into his arms and presses a sloppy kiss to his lips as soon as he’s within arm’s reach. 

“What are you doing here?” She asks after pulling away, but Gendry doesn’t let her go far, keeping one arm loose around her waist while he dangles the keys in front of her. 

“Figured I’d trade in the breathtaking views from Durran’s Point for the breathtaking view of my girlfriend. Jon let me borrow his wheels so I could sneak you away. That okay?” 

Just a bit of flush washes over Arya’s cheeks, and Gendry can’t resist reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

He doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of how even the smallest compliment can have her blushing and he’s determined to continue finding reasons to witness it happen more and more. 

Once the blush clears though, those familiar gray eyes turn mysterious again, with just that teasing edge to them that spells trouble. Then Arya’s wrapping her arms around his neck, drawing herself flush against him and smiling deviously. 

“Oh, I think we can find a good way to pass the time.” 

She tells him this quite confidently before reaching up to kiss him, and Gendry finds himself even more relieved he’d taken up Jon’s offer. 

xxx

They end up having quite the idyllic afternoon. 

Having been to the Stormlands many times before as a kid, Arya drives them through the scenic route along the beach. 

From the safety of Jon’s Jeep, Gendry finds that he can appreciate the landscape much more. 

By the time, they reach a more or less secluded spot that overlooks Shipbreaker’s Bay, Gendry can almost say he wouldn’t mind coming back here another time. 

Of course, that’s the moment Arya chooses to crawl over the seat divider and into his lap, pulling the seat latch down so he’s almost entirely horizontal…

And then, well, Gendry decides maybe what he and Arya need to do for their solo vacation is a road trip. 

xxx 

His luck runs out on their second to last day in the Storm’s End. 

He’s in the middle of a heated discussion with Jon and Theon about this year’s roster for the rugby championship when Ned suddenly stands up from the breakfast table and claps to get everyone’s attention.

“Everyone ready?” 

There’s a chorus of agreement as people start pushing their chairs back and standing up. 

Confused, Gendry pulls Arya over to ask what’s going on.

“Oh, dad’s just really eager to get to the park early.” 

“Why? What’s at the park?” 

“Only his favorite activity ever,” Arya explains casually as she finishes her coffee.

“Which is what?” Gendry asks rather hesitantly, knowing from experience that he may not like the answer very much. 

“Ziplining of course.” 

It’s good that Arya has already turned around to pull her jacket on, because at least this way she doesn’t notice the color draining from his face.

xxx

Upon arriving to the zip lining venue, Gendry realizes that there’s no way he’s getting out of this one. 

Unless he fesses up and tells Arya the truth, which, as he listens to the instructor explain the rules, starts to sound like not such a bad idea. 

Alas, some part of him – the same one that this mom used to affectionately refer to as “the bull” – refuses to admit defeat. He tries to concentrate on figuring out how to put on the complicated harness and head gear, trying very hard to ignore the reason for why he’s putting it on. 

The only thing that gives him even a modicum of comfort is seeing Arya’s enthusiastic face as she expertly outfits herself and then walks over to help him out. 

Everyone appears to be in similar spirits, especially Bran, who with the help of special equipment can also participate. 

Observing the young man momentarily distracts Gendry from thoughts of impending doom, but as soon as the instructor asks everyone if they’re ready, his palms turn clammy again. 

That familiar weight starts to settle somewhere around his calves, making it all the more difficult to follow the crowd to the bottom of the ladder. 

The _very_ long ladder they have to ascend to reach the ziplining starting point. 

Gendry is easily the tallest one in the group, and the very fact that he has to crane his neck to see the top of the structure gives him serious pause. 

But then Arya tugs on his arm, her eagerness only slightly tempered when she meets his eyes, and his heart absolutely plummets to his stomach at the thought of disappointing her. 

Before she can even ask him what’s wrong, Gendry gathers the last of his wits, pushes all thoughts of potential death aside, and lets his girlfriend pull him forward. 

And he’s honestly fine. 

Actually more than fine. 

He’s the last one to climb so he takes his time. 

Arya is right above him, and she’s wearing shorts that hug her in all the right places, and Gendry can’t deny that he’s very appreciative of the view. 

All of this together, relaxes him enough that he can ascend somewhat calmly. 

It also makes him a little too smug, a little too confident. 

He lets his mind wander for just a second, but it’s long enough for him to forget to keep his gaze directly in front of him, and he makes the mistake of looking down…and then…

Fuck, is it him or does the ground seem way too far away for how slowly he’s been climbing? 

He can’t really tell anymore as his vision narrows and he starts to get dizzy.

He looks up in a panic, but Arya is a significant distance away from him, and his mouth suddenly too dry to call for her. He does the only thing he can think of and starts his shaky descend down.

But of course, his hands are sweaty now, and his legs are starting to shake as the anxiety travels up his body.

All it takes is just one misstep, one twitch of his knee for his foot to slip, and it would all be fine really if he wasn’t in such a hurry to get down, but he is.

When he tries to regain his footing, his left hand loses its grip on the step before him, and Gendry feels himself falling.

He tries to grab for something, anything, but all he grasps is air, emptiness. 

The last thing he sees is Arya’s horrified face before everything suddenly fades to black. 

xxx

The first thing Gendry registers when he comes to is that he’s in the backseat of Jon’s Jeep. 

The second thing he notices is the dull ache emanating from the small of his back. 

Years of working out and playing soccer have taught him to sus out serious injuries, and he knows almost instantly that all he got for his stupidity is a bruised tailbone, if that. 

He shifts slightly and realizes he’s not alone in Jon’s car. 

“Oh good, you’re alive.”

He pulls himself up only to be greeted with a raised eyebrow and the signature half frown that only his girlfriend can perfect. 

“I – “ 

Gendry opens his mouth to speak, to say anything but she’s absolutely not having it.

“I really didn’t think you were that stupid.”

“Huh?”

Either he did hit his head or…

“Jon told me you were afraid of heights. Honestly, Gendry, I can’t believe you tried to hide it.” 

“Jon? What?” 

Arya still looks pissed but whatever confusion is written on his face must assuage some of her irritation, because her expression softens ever so slightly. 

As his vision starts to clear a bit, Gendry can see a small smile now tugging on her lips.

“Jon said he recognized the signs when you guys were hiking up to Durran’s Point. A buddy in his unit is deathly afraid of heights and tried to play tough guy too, and pretend he was fine.”

“I didn’t try to play tough guy.” Gendry objects sheepishly, but Arya fixes him with a stare, and he relents, feeling heat creep up his neck.

“Okay, fine maybe I did a little.” 

“Why the hell would you do that?” 

She pivots her body towards, arms folded across her chest and Gendry really wishes she didn’t look so alluring or intimidating.

The moment that thought crosses his mind, he also realizes that it’s really her defiance, her penchant for facing things head on, even if it’s something she may not be happy to hear is such a huge part of why he loves her. 

Amongst other things.

And even though he didn’t plan on doing this now – hells, it might even be too early to do this now – it’s suddenly imperative to him that he tell her. That he share with her how feels about her, as if the words will evaporate if he doesn’t. 

“Well, I guess I was just trying to impress the family of the girl I’m in love with and I got a little carried away.” 

He can see the exact moment the words register by the way Arya’s eyes grow wide and her lips part just a little, expression a mixture of shock and awe.

“I’m sorry, what?” 

And he can’t resist ribbing her just a little bit, a smile stretching his lips as he scoots a bit closer.

“Sorry, which part wasn’t clear?” 

His tease seems to snap Arya out of her stupor, but Gendry can tell that she’s still stuck on what he’d say to her before; at least judging by the way her cheeks flush pinker than he’s ever seen them. 

“You really mean it?” 

She asks in a voice that’s barely above a whisper, and he finds himself reaching for her hand, stroking across the surprisingly soft skin of her knuckles as he nods. 

“I do, I really, really do.” 

“And that’s why you didn’t want to say anything? Because you thought my family would think less of you?” 

Hearing the words out loud does make his actions sound absolutely moronic, but Gendry figures he paid for it already. He just nods sheepishly and averts his eyes for a moment.

But that’s how long it takes for Arya to launch herself into his arms, pushing him back against the seat. 

The action does nothing to curb the pain in his lower back but Gendry doesn’t mind it one bit. 

Not when Arya’s splayed out in his lap and her gray eyes are shining with unmasked adoration. 

“You did that all for me? Because you love me?” 

“Yes,” he says almost breathlessly, the enormity of the confession now sinking in for him too. 

And his heart is threatening to jump out of his chest because he might be slow on the uptake sometimes, but how Arya’s looking at him, there’s no way she doesn’t feel the same. 

And if he has any doubt, she quickly rectifies it when she leans down and captures his mouth in a heated kiss. 

The kind of kiss that has quite a bit of potential for leading somewhere; the kind of kiss that _did_ lead somewhere the last time they were in Jon’s car.

But Arya pulls back and Gendry’s pretty glad for it, until she starts laughing, a full on, genuine hysterical laugh. 

“What is so funny?” 

He lightly pinches her waist to get her attention, and she tempers down her chuckles, peering lovingly down at him, all the while tempting him with her swollen lips and flushed cheeks. 

“My family is going to make so much fun of you,” she explains.

Although Gendry can tell she’s nearly giddy at the thought, her face turns a little more serious, expression more weighed as she tightens her hold on his neck and looks up at him through hooded lashes. 

“But it’s okay. I’ll protect you, because I happen to love you too. Very much so.” 

“My knight in shining armor,” Gendry whispers teasingly into the space between them, before burying his hand wrist deep in her hair and pulling her mouth down to his. 

And he thinks he can handle all the teasing that’s sure to come his way if he gets to kiss this woman for the rest of his life.

Later that night, when Sansa’s fiancé, Margaery, suggests the Reach for the next family trip due to its largely flat terrain while sending a wink his way, Gendry doesn’t even hear her. 

He’s too busy trying to figure out if it’s too soon to ask Arya to move in with him. 

xxx


End file.
